Ulric Neisser

Ulric Neisser (December 8, 1928 – February 17, 2012) was a German-born American psychologist and member of the US National Academy of Sciences. He has been referred to as the "father of cognitive psychology" because of his significant contributions to the field.

Early Life and Education

Neisser was born in Kiel, Germany, and moved to the United States in 1933. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1950 and his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1956. His doctoral dissertation was on the topic of social cognition.

Career

Neisser's career spanned over five decades, during which he made significant contributions to the field of cognitive psychology. He is best known for his work on memory, particularly his research on flashbulb memory and reconstructive memory.

In 1967, Neisser published "Cognitive Psychology", which is considered a landmark text in the field. In this book, he argued that psychology should focus on the mental processes involved in perceiving, learning, and thinking, rather than on behavior alone.

Neisser also made significant contributions to the field of perception, particularly in his research on visual search and pattern recognition. He was a pioneer in the study of face recognition, and his research has had a significant impact on the development of biometric technologies.

Later Life and Legacy

Neisser continued to be active in research and teaching until his death in 2012. His work has had a profound impact on the field of cognitive psychology, and he is widely recognized as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.

See Also

• Cognitive Psychology
• Memory
• Perception
• Social Cognition